U.S. patent application number 14/394242 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-19 for method for positioning counter entraining means of a shaft door of a lift installation.
This patent application is currently assigned to THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR AG. The applicant listed for this patent is THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR AG. Invention is credited to Petros Burutjis, Maurizio Esposito, Gerald Steinz.
Application Number | 20150074971 14/394242 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48139942 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150074971 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Burutjis; Petros ; et
al. |
March 19, 2015 |
METHOD FOR POSITIONING COUNTER ENTRAINING MEANS OF A SHAFT DOOR OF
A LIFT INSTALLATION
Abstract
A method for positioning counter entraining means which are
provided on a shaft door of a lift installation, with respect to
entraining means provided on a lift cage door of a lift cage of the
lift installation, wherein the shaft door and the lift cage door
can be coupled to each other by the entraining means acting upon
the counter entraining means. The method comprises moving the lift
cage into a floor position, opening the lift cage door, fixing the
shaft door in the closed state, providing the counter entraining
means, which are provided on the shaft door, with clearance with
respect to the shaft doors, closing the lift cage door, actuating
the entraining means, which are formed on the lift cage door, to
act upon the counter entraining means, wherein the counter
entraining means are displaced into an optimized position with
respect to the entraining means on the shaft door, ending the
action of the entraining means on the counter entraining means,
re-opening the lift cage door while keeping the shaft door closed,
and securing the counter entraining means to the shaft door in the
optimised optimized position set by the action of the entraining
means.
Inventors: |
Burutjis; Petros; (Eningen
unter Achalm, DE) ; Steinz; Gerald; (Stuttgart,
DE) ; Esposito; Maurizio; (Boeblingen, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR AG |
Essen |
|
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR AG
Essen
DE
|
Family ID: |
48139942 |
Appl. No.: |
14/394242 |
Filed: |
April 15, 2013 |
PCT Filed: |
April 15, 2013 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2013/057812 |
371 Date: |
October 13, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
29/428 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B66B 13/20 20130101;
Y10T 29/49826 20150115; B66B 13/12 20130101; B66B 19/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
29/428 |
International
Class: |
B66B 19/00 20060101
B66B019/00; B66B 13/12 20060101 B66B013/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 13, 2012 |
EP |
12164174.0 |
Claims
1.-6. (canceled)
7. A method for positioning a counter entraining means provided on
a shaft door of an elevator installation with respect to entraining
means provided on an elevator car door of an elevator car of the
elevator installation, wherein the shaft door and the elevator car
door are configured to be coupled to each other by action of the
entraining means upon the counter entraining means, the method
comprising: moving the elevator car to a story position; opening
the elevator car door; fixing the shaft door in a closed state;
providing the counter entraining means on the shaft door with a
clearance with respect to the shaft doors; closing the elevator car
door; actuating the entraining means formed on the elevator car
door to act upon the counter entraining means, wherein the counter
entraining means are displaced by said action thereupon into a
position on the shaft door that is optimized with respect to the
entraining means; ending the action upon the counter entraining
means by the entraining means; re-opening the elevator car door
while keeping the shaft door closed; and fastening the counter
entraining means to the shaft door in the optimized position set by
the action of the entraining means.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the counter entraining means have
two spaced-apart rollers, and the entraining means have two
expanding skate angle members coupled to an expanding skate that is
configured to be introduced between the rollers.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said actuating step further
includes introducing the expanding skate angle members between the
rollers of the counter entraining means, and moving the expanding
skate angle members away from each other so as to cause the rollers
to be displaced to a position on the shaft door that is optimized
with respect to the expanding skate angle members.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the rollers are disposed at a
fixed spacing from one another on a carrier plate or assembly
plate, and wherein the carrier plate has at least one elongated
hole.
11. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of said method
steps is at least partially initiated by an operator located in an
interior of the elevator car.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein the counter entraining means are
disposed at about half the height of the shaft door.
13. The method of claim 7, wherein the entraining means are formed
at approximately half the height of the elevator car door.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for positioning
counter entraining means which are provided on a shaft door of an
elevator installation.
[0002] Elevator doors usually have an elevator car door which is
provided on the elevator car, and shaft doors provided on each
story. When the elevator car moves up to each story, both the
elevator car door and the corresponding shaft door (then positioned
behind the elevator car door) are opened and closed to allow
passengers to get on or off or to continue the movement of the
elevator car.
[0003] An elevator car door usually has a drive by means of which
said elevator car door can be opened and shut. In order to avoid
corresponding drives for each shaft door, the elevator car door is
designed with entraining means or a dog-type mechanism which
engages with corresponding counter entraining means of the shaft
door upon reaching a story and opens and shuts said shaft door at
the same time. Expanding skate mechanisms, as are described, for
example, in EP 0 744 373 B1, are customarily used in this case.
[0004] In particular in what is referred to as a high-performance
elevator car door, it is essential to avoid rattling and wind
noises at very high traveling speeds. Furthermore, elevator doors
of this type are intended to open and shut as rapidly as possible.
Precise positioning of the entraining means and the counter
entraining means with respect to one another is essential in order
to avoid such noises and to permit rapid opening and closing of the
door.
[0005] A further device for entraining a shaft door by an elevator
car door, which is actuatable by a door drive, for elevator
installations is known from WO 2011/072891.
[0006] It is conventionally customary to position entraining means,
which are designed as an expanding skate which is attached to the
elevator car door, and counter entraining means, which are designed
as rollers and are provided on each shaft door, in the vicinity of
the door upper edges.
[0007] This makes it possible for a fitter to set a desired
positioning of the counter entraining means with respect to the
entraining means from the elevator car roof. This generally takes
place by the elevator car being moved into a position somewhat
below a story position such that the expanding skate provided on
the elevator car and the rollers which are provided on the shaft
door and in which the expanding skate engages for carrying along
the shaft door are visible simultaneously for the fitter. This
procedure has proven favorable in particular because the upper end
of the expanding skate projects over the upper edge of the elevator
car.
[0008] The fitter sees the position of the expanding skate in a
folded-up state, and at the same time identifies the lifting
movement of the expanding skate angle member of the expanding
skate, from the folded state into the moved-apart coupling or end
state. On the basis of this optical information, the fitter is
capable of positioning the rollers, which serve as the counter
entraining means and between which the expanding skate is intended
to engage, in such a manner that, in the unfolded state, the
expanding skate angle members each act upon a roller and therefore
couple elevator car door and shaft door. Customarily, the two
rollers, optionally with further components of a coupling and
locking mechanism, are provided here on a carrier plate which is
formed with elongated holes. The elongated holes here are
positioned in front of corresponding threads formed in the shaft
door, and therefore a desired displacement and fixing of the
carrier plate with respect to the shaft door is possible using
screws which interact with the elongated holes and the threads.
[0009] However, in this procedure, a positioning of the counter
entraining means, in particular of a carrier plate with two
rollers, and of the expanding skate is possible merely in the
immediate vicinity of the upper edge of the shaft door or elevator
car door. This means that the coupling of elevator car door and
shaft door also takes place in the surroundings of the upper edge
of the doors, and this, in particular in the case of doors which
are to open and close rapidly, results in a relatively severe and
nonuniform torque loading of the doors.
[0010] Furthermore, the outlay to be expanded on safety is
relatively high since the work has to be carried out from the
elevator car roof
[0011] Finally, such an installation is considered to be relatively
complicated since the positioning of the rollers substantially
takes place by sight. In practice, this generally leads to the
position of the rollers and of the carrier plate having to be
readjusted, which is associated with repeated moving of the
elevator car.
[0012] EP 1 500 625 A1 describes a method in which the positioning
of the rollers on the shaft door is carried out by means of action
by expanding skate angle members.
[0013] The present invention seeks a simplified and at the same
time precise positioning of the counter entraining means with
respect to the entraining means of a coupling mechanism for
elevator car door and shaft doors of an elevator installation.
[0014] This object is achieved by a method with the features of
patent claim 1.
[0015] A method which can be carried out rapidly and effectively
and at the same time precisely for positioning entraining means and
counter entraining means with respect to one another is made
available by the method according to the invention. The method
permits a substantially arbitrary positioning of the entraining
means and counter entraining means on the elevator car door and
shaft door. By means of the automated and very precise positioning,
rattling noises during the journey of the elevator car and also
during the opening and closing of the doors are minimized or
avoided. It should be noted that the steps of the method according
to the invention do not necessarily have to be carried out in the
stated sequence. For example, it is conceivable to interchange the
sequence of the steps of the movement of the elevator car into a
story position and of the opening of the elevator car door with
each other, i.e., for example, to move the elevator car with the
elevator car door already open into the story position. Also, for
example, the fixing of the shaft door in the closed state can
already be carried out before movement of the elevator car into the
story position or before the opening of the elevator car door. The
providing of the counter entraining means with a clearance can also
already take place, for example, before the moving of the elevator
car into the story position or before the opening of the elevator
car door or before the fixing of the shaft door in the closed
state.
[0016] The term "story position" is understood as meaning, in
particular, the position of the elevator car, in which entry and
exit of a person is readily possible. In particular, this term
comprises the normal stop position, in which the floor of the
elevator car and the floor of the respective story are oriented
flush with each other. However, elevator car positions slightly
below or slightly above the normal stop position, for example
.+-.20-40 cm, are also covered by the term. The term is intended in
particular to comprise all elevator car positions in which the
entraining means and the counter entraining means are operatively
connected to one another, in other words the elevator car is in the
coupling zone or unlocking zone.
[0017] Under normal operating conditions, when the elevator car
moves into the story position, the entraining means and the counter
entraining means are brought into operative connection with one
another. For example, the entraining means can be introduced into
the counter entraining means.
[0018] Opening of the elevator car door while simultaneously
keeping the shaft door closed is possible, for example, by manual
decoupling of the elevator car door from the shaft door. For this
purpose, for example, a control function which, when the elevator
car is positioned in the story position, disengages the entraining
means from the counter entraining means, can be provided. It is
likewise possible first of all to open the shaft door together with
the elevator car door, and then subsequently only to close the
shaft door again.
[0019] Opening of the elevator car door can take place, for
example, manually or else by actuation of the corresponding drive
of the elevator car door.
[0020] Fixing of the shaft door in the closed state can be brought
about, for example, manually, by use of corresponding blocking
tools.
[0021] The counter entraining means provided on the shaft door can
already be formed with a clearance with respect to the shaft door
when the elevator car arrives in the story position. However, it is
likewise possible for the counter entraining means to be fastened
without a clearance to the elevator car door when the elevator car
arrives, and for a fitter (for example located in the interior of
the elevator car) to provide the counter entraining means with a
clearance. The method according to the invention can therefore be
used for the initial setting and also for a readjustment of the
position of the counter entraining means.
[0022] The reclosing of the elevator car door can take place, in
turn, manually, or by use of the elevator car door drive. The
actuation of the entraining means, which are formed on the elevator
car door, for acting upon the counter entraining means
substantially corresponds to the normal coupling operation of
elevator car door and shaft door, in which the entraining means
engage in the counter entraining means in order to bring about a
fixed coupling between the two doors such that the two doors can be
opened and closed by the elevator car door drive. However, in this
case, the counter entraining means, because of the clearance
thereof, are displaced or brought into a desired position on the
shaft door.
[0023] Ending of the action upon the counter entraining means by
the entraining means is, in turn, understood as meaning a
disengagement of the entraining means from the counter entraining
means, as a result of which, in turn, an opening of the elevator
car door while keeping the shaft door closed is possible.
[0024] The subsequent fastening of the counter entraining means to
the shaft door can then take place by a fitter (for example located
in the interior of the elevator car).
[0025] The fixing of the shaft door in the closed state can then be
released.
[0026] Advantageous refinements of the invention are the subject
matter of the dependent claims.
[0027] Expediently, the counter entraining means have two
spaced-apart rollers, and the entraining means have an expanding
skate which can be introduced between the rollers and has two
expanding skate angle members, wherein, by means of movement apart
of the expanding skate angle members introduced between the
rollers, said rollers are displaced into the desired position
thereof on the shaft door and are fastened in said position. Such
entraining means and counter entraining means have proven to be
able to be set particularly easily, and to be robust and reliable
with regard to maintenance and wear.
[0028] The rollers are expediently at a fixed spacing from one
another on a carrier plate, wherein the carrier plate has at least
one elongated hole. By means of such a mechanism, displacement of a
carrier plate, with the rollers attached thereto, with respect to a
shaft door is possible in a simple manner by action by means of an
expanding skate. It should be noted that the rollers can also be
directly displaceable on and fixable to a shaft door (i.e. in
particular without a carrier plate). For this purpose, it is
possible, for example, to form elongated holes in the shaft door,
in which or with regard to which the rollers can be positioned. It
is likewise conceivable to design the rollers to be displaceable
with respect to a carrier plate as far as a stop. In this case,
action by means of the expanding skate would first of all cause a
movement of the rollers with respect to the carrier plate, and only
after the respective stops are reached, would cause a displacement
of the carrier plate with respect to the shaft door. This
refinement permits provision of the already depicted coupling and
entraining function with an unlocking function using just two
rollers. The unlocking function is used in order to unlock a
locking mechanism, by means of which an opening of the shaft door
is not possible during normal operation of the elevator if the
elevator car or the elevator car door is not located directly
behind the shaft door. In this case, it is expedient, during the
positioning process, to temporarily fix the rollers in the position
thereof after reaching the stops. This makes it possible to avoid
said rollers moving during the removal of the expanding skate
within the course of the positioning process and hence possibly
causing a displacement of the carrier plate.
[0029] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the
method according to the invention, at least one of the method steps
is at least partially brought about by a fitter (operator) located
in the interior of the elevator car. By this means, the safety of
the operator is substantially improved in relation to conventional
positioning processes which have had to be carried out from the
elevator car roof. The method according to the invention can also
be carried out more rapidly and at the same time more precisely
than conventional methods. It is preferred in this case for all of
the method steps as listed in the main claim to be able to be
carried out by an operator located in the interior of the elevator
car.
[0030] It has proven expedient to form the counter entraining means
and/or the entraining means at half the height of the shaft door
and elevator car door. Owing to the more uniform loading both of
the counter entraining means by the entraining means and of the
respective doors in comparison with conventional solutions, wear is
also reduced in comparison to known solutions, and therefore the
outlay on maintenance can be reduced.
[0031] The method according to the invention permits for the first
time the formation or arrangement of the entraining means and/or of
the counter entraining means at half the height of the elevator car
door and of the shaft door. By this means, torques which occur
during the opening and closing of the doors and which act on the
doors can be significantly reduced. "Approximately at half the
height" is understood as meaning, in particular, a distance of
50-150 cm, in particular 100-150 cm, from a lower edge and/or upper
edge of an elevator car door or shaft door, or else a positioning
within a range of up to 50 cm above or below the half door height.
For entraining means designed as expanding skate angle members,
this means, in particular, that the central region of the
vertically extending expanding skate angle members are positioned
approximately at half the height of the elevator car door. Such a
positioning of the entraining means and/or counter entraining means
also results in particularly easy accessibility for a fitter
located in the interior of the elevator car.
[0032] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be explained
in more detail with reference to the attached drawing, in
which:
[0033] FIGS. 1a and 1b show views of an exemplary embodiment of the
entraining means from above in different operating positions in
each case, together with an exemplary embodiment of the counter
entraining means on the shaft-door side, in which a preferred
refinement of the method according to the invention can be
used,
[0034] FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the counter
entraining means used according to the invention, in a top
view,
[0035] FIG. 3 shows the counter entraining means of FIG. 2 in a
view from above, and
[0036] FIG. 4 shows a schematic sequence diagram of a preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
[0037] In FIGS. 1a, 1 b, a preferred embodiment of an entraining
device, in which the method according to the present invention can
be carried out, is illustrated and denoted overall by 100.
[0038] The device 100 serves for coupling an elevator car door to a
shaft door of an elevator. Elevator car door and shaft door are
merely indicated schematically by means of brackets in 1a, 1b and
denoted by 80 and 90, respectively. By means of the coupling, which
is provided by the device 100, between elevator car door 80 and
shaft door 90, only the elevator car door 80 has to be designed
with a door drive (not illustrated) which opens or closes the
elevator car door 80. Owing to the coupling, a dedicated drive does
not have to be provided for the shaft door 90.
[0039] On the elevator-car-door side, the device 100 has two
expanding skate angle members 110 which interact with rollers 210,
which are attached on the shaft-door side, for coupling elevator
car door and shaft door, as is described further below. The
expanding skate angle members 110 therefore constitute entraining
means, and the rollers 210 counter entraining means, within the
context of the invention.
[0040] On the elevator-car-door side, the device 100 has an
expanding skate angle member drive 101 which serves to couple the
expanding skate angle members 110 to the rollers 210. For this
purpose, the expanding skate angle members 110 are first of all
extended between the rollers 210 in the direction of the shaft door
by means of the drive 101 (indicated by means of arrow P in FIG.
1a) and expanded in this position (indicated by means of arrow Q in
FIG. 1b). This extended and expanded position is illustrated in
FIG. 1b.
[0041] The described extension and expansion of the expanding skate
angle members 110 results in the expanding skate angle members
acting upon the respective rollers 210 and therefore coupling
elevator car door and shaft door to each other. In this state,
elevator car door and shaft door are coupled to each other, via the
coupling of expanding skate angle members 110 and rollers 210, in
such a manner that an opening and closing of the elevator car door
80 by means of an elevator car door drive (not illustrated) leads
to an entraining of and simultaneous opening or closing of the
shaft door 90.
[0042] In order to release the coupling between elevator car door
and shaft door again, the described operation has to be reversed,
i.e. the expanding skate angle members 110 are folded again by
means of the drive 101 and retracted into the positions illustrated
in FIG. 1a.
[0043] A precise positioning of the rollers 210 with respect to the
expanding skate angle members 110 is of great importance. If,
namely, for example, the expanding skate angle members 110, in the
state illustrated in FIG. 1a, are arranged non-symmetrically or in
the center of the rollers 210, an asymmetric or non-simultaneous
action upon the rollers 210 can occur during the expansion of the
expanding skate angle members, which may be perceptible, for
example, in an increased noise annoyance (rattling noises) or else
in increased wear.
[0044] During the installation of an elevator installation, the
rollers 210 on the shaft door therefore have to be positioned as
precisely as possible with respect to the expanding skate angle
members 110 and the elevator car door. This is where the present
invention starts.
[0045] FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a preferred structural possibility
for realizing the invention. It is seen here that the rollers 210
are attached here to an assembly plate 250. Said assembly plate 250
is formed with a number of elongated holes 252 (four such elongated
holes 252 are provided in the example illustrated). Screws 254
which interact with corresponding threads 256, which are formed in
the shaft door 90, can be passed through said elongated holes
252.
[0046] In the event of a loose, i.e. not tightened, introduction of
the screws 254 into the thread 256, the displacability of the
assembly plate 250, and therefore of the rollers 210, with respect
to the shaft door 90 is provided. The rollers here therefore have a
clearance with respect to the shaft door.
[0047] Reference is also made to FIG. 4 below in order to
illustrate the method according to the invention.
[0048] In order to position the rollers 210 with respect to the
expanding skate angle members 110, the elevator car is first of all
moved into a respective stop point (story position) (step 410).
Subsequently, the elevator car doors are opened by the fitter
(expediently from the interior of the elevator car) (step 420),
wherein said elevator car doors should not be coupled here to the
shaft doors.
[0049] The shaft doors 90 are subsequently fixed against sliding
open or against moving during the positioning operation which then
follows (step 430).
[0050] It is also possible first of all to open the elevator car
door and the shaft door coupled thereto, to release the coupling
and subsequently to close the shaft door again and to fix the
latter in the closed position.
[0051] In order to be able to set the rollers 210, which serve as
counter entraining means, in the position thereof relative to the
shaft door 90 or relative to the expanding skate angle members
serving as entraining means, in order to provide a clearance for
the rollers, first of all the fastening screws 254 are loosened and
are expediently tightened again hand-tight (step 440). By this
means, the assembly plate 250 can be displaced with a slight effort
relative to the shaft door 90. At the same time, it is ensured
that, after the end of the automatic positioning, the position of
the assembly plate 250 can be maintained in order subsequently to
bring about the final fastening or setting of the position by firm
tightening of the screws 254.
[0052] In this state of the released fastening screws 254 which are
tightened hand-tight, the elevator car door 80 is first of all
closed again by means of the elevator car door drive (step 450).
The (fixed) shaft door remains closed here. The elevator car door
80 is held in said closed position exclusively by means of the
elevator car door drive (operating position). It is important for
precise positioning that said operating position is maintained
during the positioning process.
[0053] The automatic positioning of the assembly plate 250 with the
rollers 210 provided thereon is then started. For this purpose,
only the coupling operation already described with reference to
figures la, lb (extension and expansion of the expanding skate
angle members) has to be started (step 460), i.e. an actuation of
the entraining means, which are formed on the elevator car door,
for action upon the counter entraining means has to be carried
out.
[0054] The positions of the expanding skate angle members are
illustrated schematically in FIG. 2 for illustrative purposes. The
dashed lines show the extended and non-expanded position of the
expanding skate angle members, while the chain-dotted lines
illustrate the extended and expanded positions of the expanding
skate angle members. In this position illustrated by means of
chain-dotted lines, the expanding skate angle members 110 act upon
the rollers 210, wherein, in this state with non-tightened
fastening screws 254, corresponding displacement of the rollers 210
is brought about by means of the action by the expanding skate
angle members 110 if the rollers 210 are not positioned exactly
symmetrically with respect to the expanding skate angle
members.
[0055] After the end of said coupling operation and possible
displacement of the assembly plate 250 by means of action upon the
rollers 210 by the expanding skate angle member 110, the rollers
210 are positioned in the optimum or optimized position thereof
with respect to the expanding skate angle members 110.
[0056] The shaft door 80 and the elevator car door 90 are
subsequently decoupled again (step 470) (i.e. the action upon the
counter entraining means by the entraining means is ended) and the
decoupled elevator car door is opened once again (for example
manually) (step 480). As mentioned, the assembly plate 250 is then
in the optimum or desired position in order to ensure a symmetrical
and simultaneous action upon the rollers 210 by the expanding skate
angle members 110 during further coupling operations. This position
can then be fixed by simple tightening of the screws 254 (step
490). The fixing of the shaft doors is subsequently released again
(step 500). The positioning or setting operation is thereby ended
and can be repeated for each further story.
[0057] Compared to conventional positioning processes, the solution
according to the invention provides a significant saving on time
since the counter entraining means are already movable into the
desired position on the shaft door during the first action
thereupon or interaction therewith by the entraining means.
[0058] Entraining means and counter entraining means are optimally
positionable with respect to one another solely because of the
mutual interaction with one another. The method according to the
invention is also distinguished by increased safety since the
entire positioning operation can be carried out by a fitter located
within the elevator car.
[0059] With the solution according to the invention, it is possible
in particular to arrange the counter entraining means, i.e. the
rollers 210, on the shaft door approximately at half the height of
the shaft door and elevator car door. By means of such a coupling
at half the height of the doors to be coupled, a more rapid
subsequent opening or closing of the coupled doors is possible. By
this means, a more uniform loading of the doors during the opening
or closing is also ensured. In the event of a conventional coupling
in the vicinity of the upper edge of the doors, relatively large
torques act overall, in particular in the region of the lower edge,
on the individual doors.
* * * * *